What Once Was Mine
by kelly dawson
Summary: Rapunzel experiences death for the first time... one where she can't use her power to bring them back


**Kay, so I don't know if the magic stayed with Rapunzel after the tear and what-not…. But let's just say, for this, that it didn't **** ok? Kay, cool.**

Rapunzel sat in her room gazing up at the stars while Pascal was nuzzled in her lap. She slowly stroked his back and sighed every few minutes. She was told to stay in her room for the evening after something suspicious happened to her father. Eugene, however, was asked to stay with them. It had almost been two hours and Rapunzel was starting to feel antsy.

Closing her window, she crawled in to her bed, setting Pascal on the pillow beside her. It was dark and all the light that was provided in to the room was from the moon.

She stared at the ceiling wondering what was going on that she couldn't be a part of. It was driving her mad!

Suddenly, the door creaked open and she heard footsteps coming towards her.

"Blondie? You awake?" Eugene walked over to her and peered in to her eyes. She looked back at him, annoyed.

"Sorry…." He sat down beside her. "But listen, there's something I need to tell you. It's important, so I need you to listen closely."

Rapunzel sat up and nodded her head. She saw fear in his eyes and this worried her. What was he going to say?

"Your father….." he cleared his throat and searched for the right words. "Is sick…. Really sick. The past two hours we've done all we could and well…" he swallowed hard and took her hand in his, "we think it's his last hour with us."

"What?" Rapunzel gasped and stared at him. "Well, why am I in here? I should be with him! I need to-" she pushed Eugene aside and ran from her room, down the hall, and stormed in to her parent's chambers. Candles were lit and people were huddled around the bed. She could hear the soft sobs from her mother. Rapunzel ran to his side and quickly began grabbing at her hair.

"Flower gleam and glow, let your power shine, make the clock reverse-"

"Rapunzel!" Her mother grabbed her and tried to pull her up but she fought against her grip.

"bring back what once was mine!" She laid her fathers hand on her head and she began to sob.

"darling…" the King looked up at his daughter with soft eyes and smiled.

"What once was mine…." Tears streamed down her cheeks. Realizing this, she tried to put the tears on him. If they had once healed Eugene, couldn't they heal her father?

"Daddy…" Rapunzel sobbed and wrapped him in her arms. "Please…. Please don't go."

Everyone stood around, tears filling their eyes, as they watched Rapunzel, who had only known her real father for a year, watched as his life slipped away. One year ago, she would have had the ability to heal him… but now, she was worthless.

Rapunzel stared in to her fathers eyes and he smiled at her. Laying a hand on her cheek and said his last words, "I love you…"

Taking his final breaths, Rapunzel felt his body go limp.

"She hasn't left her room in days…" the Queen held her head in her hands and sighed. Eugene stood before her and watched as the Queen gently cried.

"I'm worried, Eugene." She looked up at him, her red eyes full of pain.

"I know, your majesty, I am too. But like I said, she won't even talk to me."

"Surely you know a way in to her room! You're a former thief!"

Dang. Eugene didn't know how to respond.

"I'm… I'm sorry." The Queen stood up and laid her hands on his shoulders. "Just keep trying?"

"You know I won't stop." Eugene smiled at her and she left the room. Fixing his collar he made his way down the hall and to her room. Noticing her door was open, he peeked in.

"Rapunzel?"

No answer. He stood there thinking. Ah, he knew where'd she'd be. He sighed and took a walk to the palace gardens.

Surely enough, he found her huddled beneath a tree just staring off in to space. He knew this was the first time Rapunzel hadn't had the ability to heal someone. He could only imagine the pain she was feeling. He took a deep breath and walked over to her.

"Hey, Blondie…"

She didn't move an inch.

Sighing, he sat down beside her. Searching her face, all he found was a blank stare, red burning eyes, and tear stained cheeks.

Minutes went by; silence.

"I've never felt so useless"

"What?"

Rapunzel sniffed and looked down. "I've never felt so…" her sentence broke off by her sudden burst in to sobs. Eugene gently wrapped her in his arms and cradled her. Waiting until her breathing steadied out and she was able to listen to him.

"Rapunzel, listen to me. You are not useless. What happened the other night, that's a part of life. People come and people go"

"But we hardly had time!"

"but the time you did have is was matters." He brushed some of her hair from her face. "And you and I know that he was the happiest he's ever been after you returned. Those memories are special and they are forever in your heart and you can go back to them whenever you want and relive them."

Rapunzel looked up in to his eyes and sighed. "I just… I couldn't do anything…"

"That doesn't matter. Magic hair or no magic hair, all that matters is that you were with him. This is natural life, Rapunzel. As hard as it is to accept, it's just how things are. But he's always in your heart." He smiled and lifted her chin up to look at him. For a moment they started at one another until Rapunzel finally spoke.

"I just… I can't get the image out of my head of what if it was you…."

"Me?"

"In the tower. What if you died?"

"Honestly, I don't know what to say to that… and I wish I could trade my life for his. He's more important and he deserves to be with you…"

Rapunzel's eyes closed and she wrapped her arms around him, "no…" she breathed "I don't want you to go…." She cried a few moments and then looked up at him. She rubbed her nose and looked him in the eyes, "I remember, a few months ago, my father said to me, 'that Fitzhurbert is a fine man. I wouldn't want you to be with any other man than him. He deserves you and you deserve him. And I know that once I'm gone, I'll be leaving you in good hands'."

Eugene's throat swelled up and he smiled. He kissed her and said "and?"

She smiled and answered, "and I think he's right".


End file.
